Crown Jewels

Fear not late-night fans, he’ll be around for another two years and some change. While Jay Leno is throwing up the peace sign to NBC, David Letterman will be with his regular audience through 2015. CBS announced the deal with the 66-year old last week when Corporate CEO Leslie Mooves spoke very highly of the number one network’s host of over 20 years.

“There is only one Dave, and we are extremely proud that he continues to call CBS home,” Mooves said about the impossibility to replace him.

Letterman was grateful of the opportunity to entertain people for two more years and in usual “ Good ‘Ol Dave” fashion, he had to hit us with a knee slapper as only the long-time Late Night headman can.

“Les and I had a lengthy discussion, and we both agreed that I needed a little more time to fully run the show into the ground,” Letterman joked to reporters.

In an interview with Oprah last month, Letterman said that he had a discussion with Mooves and agreed that she would have to let him know when it’s time to go.

Luckily, that is no time soon. I have to say this is great for CBS. Sticking with the date who bought you to the dance usually is the grandest idea. I’m very happy for him though. Here’s a guy who’s gone through a severely obstructed heart and had a quintuple bypass in 2000, only to resume his hosting duties just a month after the most intense and life threatening experience ever.

He went off the air in 2007-2008 during the infamous Writers Guild of America strike and has even been the victim of a death threat in 2011. This guy has been through so much but it’s just great that he gets to stick around.

Believe it or not, Letterman actually started on NBC, his late-night rival station but a Peabody and five Emmys later, he’s dusting off his shoulders in the CBS fast lane. Sure he’s seen his ratings slide over the last five years or so but there’s plenty of completion these days. Everyone from Mr. Jay Chin-O himself over on the National Broadcasting Company’s network and Conan O’Brien’s show on TBS, has provided alternative viewing options for the average tardy evening snoozer.

Letterman probably has to be the coolest host ever for owning his own show through his Worldwide Pants production company. It does pretty well in the ratings despite the slide, with an average of 3.14 million viewers a week.

Jimmy Fallon will be taking over for Letterman’s rival, Jay Leno next year and I know I had a bit of fun poking jokes at the Los Angeles based host but D.L. and J.L. have been on the air seemingly forever. One will be gone but the other isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. That is a fairly big win for nostalgia, if you ask me.

Thank you CBS for keeping a class act and a genuinely nice guy on the air for many years to come. It is only fitting that he gets at least a couple more years to tickle a few more funny bones.